Legend of the Paymaster's Gold

by Jo Shawyer

Overview

Legend has it that a paymaster lost his gold during the War of 1812, and Sam, Eadie, and Ben are determined to find it.

The Jackson family has moved into an old house on Commissioners Road near London, Ontario, and twins Sam and Eadie discover an exciting legend that involves their new home. Their neighbour, Ben, tells them that a skirmish in the War of 1812 took place right in front of their house, and that, during the fight, it is thought that an army paymaster lost a chest of gold that has never been recovered.

Sam, Eadie, and Ben decide to solve the legend and find the lost gold. But almost two hundred years have passed. How will they know where to look? What clues are there to follow? With the help of the Internet, Dave at the library, and some clever sleuthing with maps and a metal detector, they make some progress. But why are all the most likely places to find the gold off-limits?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554889914
Publisher:	Dundurn Press
Publication date:	02/18/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	844 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jo  Shawyer is a historical geographer. In her stories, she takes the reader with her to experience the excitement of events in the past and the fun of places she knows. She is the author of Twenty-Dollar Reward and lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Jo Shawyer has been writing all her life as a university professor. Now retired, she has turned to writing fiction, creating exciting stories from her wealth of research material. She is the author of Twenty-Dollar Reward, and lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Table of Contents

*** Each of the fourteen chapters begins with an excerpt from the diary of Annie Wareham, age 13. She witnesses the War of 1812 from her log house on Commissioners' Road.

The Jackson family in London, Ontario, move to an old house (originally Annie's log cabin) on Commissioners' Road. Twins Sam and Eadie, age 14, hear about The Legend of the Paymaster's Gold. It is true that the night of October 6, 1813, General Henry Procter was retreating from the Detroit frontier toward Lake Ontario along Commissioners' Road, his waggons full of equipment and wounded men. It is alleged that Procter was overtaken by American Kentucky riflemen and, in the skirmish, Procter's Paymaster, in charge of buying supplies for the soldiers and horses, lost his box of gold.

The skirmish is a legend. There is no documentation to prove that the skirmish actually happened, that the gold was really lost.

Sam, Eadie, and their friend Ben decide to "solve" the legend and find the lost gold. But almost two hundred years have passed. What clues are there to follow? With the help of Google, and Dave at the library, and some clever sleuthing with maps, and a metal detector, they make some progress. But why are all the most likely places to find the gold made off-limits to them by grown-ups?

However, persistence pays off. They find gold! But - whose gold is it? Have they really solved The Legend of the Paymaster's Gold?

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“…a nicely paced adventure tale…”

Editorial Reviews

Shawyer’s expertise as a historical geographer is apparent in this YA mystery, but stodgy writing, unpersuasive portrayals of teenage protagonists, and ponderous amounts of detail fail to sustain interest. After the Jackson family, including 14-year-old twins Eadie and Sam, moves into a new house near London, Ont., the siblings quickly become involved in a search for the mythic treasure trove of the title. The park across the road from their house was the site of a battle during the War of 1812, the events of which nearly every character knows well. During the war, the paymaster for a Canadian general lost some gold in the aftermath of the battle that was never found. Once Sam and Eadie learn of the story, they dedicate themselves to trying to find it. While the steps they take to narrow down the possible location of the treasure are interesting, the underdeveloped and overly earnest characters (the phrase “This is getting better and better!” appears on multiple occasions) and tedious plot are unlikely to engage many readers. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

The treasure hunting storyline helps readers to learn about the War of 1812.

a nicely paced adventure tale

From the Publisher

The treasure hunting storyline helps readers to learn about the War of 1812.

book review Resource Links

a nicely paced adventure tale

Open Book: Ontario